Cops: Angry West Norriton man exposes himself

WEST NORRITON — Just before 6 p.m. April 26, police responded to the 400 block of Centre Avenue for a reported disturbance. Upon arrival, a woman flagged down the squad vehicle and told police that she was verbally harassed by a man who exposed himself to her on West Oak Street.

The victim knew the suspect from his placement of letters on neighborhood vehicles decrying their proximity to his residence, even though they were parked legally.

The victim attempted to confront the suspect regarding the letters when he allegedly became verbally abusive and dropped his trousers and underwear. He also made sexual demand and called the victim an obscene name.

Police located the suspect planting shrubs in the 600 block of North Forest Avenue. The suspect admitted to producing the letters and putting them on nearby vehicles. He also admitted to a verbal confrontation with the victim and said he had “slightly” pulled the top of his shorts down, but denied exposing himself. Police determined that at the time of the incident, the suspect had an unobstructed view of the victim from between 20 and 60 feet away.

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The suspect was taken into custody, processed at the station and released. He faces indecent exposure charges.

Cable box stolen

WEST NORRITON — On April 25 at 7:30 p.m. a resident reported to police that a cable box had been ripped from the side of his residence between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. No neighbors witnessed the theft. The box is valued at $200.

Missing wallet turns up

WEST NORRITON — On April 25 a wallet that had gone missing from a vehicle in the 2000 block of West Marshall Street April 12 was found.

The wallet, which was recovered at Papa Guido’s Pizza and Beer, 637 W. Main St., Norristown, contained a credit card that was used to make two internet purchases from Footlocker and Zoo Lily totaling $507.36.

The cardholder cancelled the card after being informed of the fraudulent transactions. The wallet was turned over to the victim and the card was placed in evidence.

Police seek abusive boyfriend

WEST NORRITON — Police responded to the 2500 block of Rockwood Drive at 12:39 a.m. April 27 for a report of suspicious circumstances. Upon arrival officers met with a woman who told them that her boyfriend had come home drunk and punched her with a closed fist when she asked him to leave.

The victim had a bloody, swollen lower lip. She provided police with pertinent information regarding the suspect, his vehicle and his possible whereabouts. A warrant has been issued for the suspect’s arrest.

Vehicle recovered

WEST NORRITON — A vehicle that was stolen in West Norriton April 21 was recovered in Norristown April 24. The victim came into the station at 6 p.m. on April 21 and told police that she was at Tony G’s Pub at 1991 W. Main St. at 2 a.m. and left her gold and black clutch by the pool table on the second floor. She later went to retrieve it, but the small purse containing her driver’s license, keys, cell phones and $80 was gone.

The victim returned to the scene at 4 p.m. April 21 and saw her Jeep parked across the street in the parking lot of the 711 at 1985 W. Main St. She called her insurance company to procure a new key, but when personnel sent by the insurance company arrived the vehicle was no longer there. The victim’s Jeep was entered into the National Crime Information Center’s stolen vehicle database.

On April 22, the victim told police that her friend had spotted the vehicle near West Marshall and Stanbridge streets in Norristown.

Two days later, a Jeep matching the description of the missing vehicle was found on the 900 block of Elm Street with two parking tickets. The vehicle was positively identified, towed and impounded pending notification of the owner.

Stolen vehicle may have been used in crimes

WEST NORRITON — At noon on April 27 police were called to the first block of Bittersweet Court for a reported vehicle theft.

The victim told police he was leaving for work at 10:45 a.m. and discovered that his green 1997 Honda Accord was missing. The vehicle had tinted windows and several distinctive details. The victim was sure whether he had left the car unlocked. The vehicle’s pertinent information was entered into the National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC) database.

On May 1, Norristown police were contacted regarding the investigation. The vehicle had been recovered but was being held pending a search warrant because an ongoing investigation suggests that it may have been used in the commission of crimes.

The victim was notified and the vehicle information was removed from NCIC.

Resident accuses contractor of forgery

WEST NORRITON — A resident came into the station at 1 p.m. on April 30 to report a case of forgery. The victim said that a contractor who had done some work on his home last summer never provided him with the building permit he required to secure a loan for the work.

In July of 2013, the resident received a letter from the township denying him a building permit.

The resident then discovered that the contractor had allegedly forged his name on the building permit application.

The resident was advised by the township to stop all work and the resident fired the contractor. Since being fired, the contractor placed a lien on the residents property. Police advised the resident to seek legal counsel regarding the lien and are investigating the alleged forgery.

Family member is suspect in identity theft

WEST NORRITON — On April 30, at 12:50 p.m. a resident came into the station to report a case of identity theft. The resident told police that he had recently received a notification from the IRS that he owed over $2,000 in back taxes from 2012. He contacted the IRS and was told the money was owed from when he worked at a company in Las Vegas.

The resident told the IRS he never worked for the company and the IRS informed him that someone had probably used his name, date of birth and Social Security Number to procure the job, but never paid taxes.

The Las Vegas company was contacted and faxed a picture of the employee’s ID card. The picture on the ID was a relative of the victim’s.

The victim was advised to speak with personnel at the Philadelphia IRS office to address the tax bill.

The incident was turned over to detectives for further investigation because the victim intends to file charges against his relative.

Beauty supplies and bikes stolen from apartment complex

WEST NORRITON — Several thefts of mail-ordered products and bicycles in the same apartment complex were reported between April 26 and 29.

On April 26 at 11 p.m. police responded to the 9000 block of Sentinel Ridge for the report of stolen bicycles. The bikes, gray 52- and 56-inch Raleigh Renovos, valued at $700 each, were last used on April 24 and secured by a chain to metal window bars at the east end of a garage.

On April 28 at 5:45 p.m. police were called to the 2000 block of Liberty Court for another reported bicycle theft. The victim told police that his bike was locked, along with two others, in a parking garage on April 27 at 10:30 a.m. He discovered that the chain had been cut and the bike was missing at 12:30 p.m. April 28.

The bike is a black and gray Northrock mountain bike valued at $350. Information about the bicycle was entered into the West Norriton Police Departments stolen bike log book.

The first victim of mail-order theft contacted police on April 28 at 3:40 p.m. and stated that she was expecting a package containing beauty supplies to be delivered to her apartment in the 5300 block of Sentinel Ridge on April 24, but the package never arrived. On April 26, she was told by the leasing office that her empty package was found on another floor of the building along with another resident’s mail ordered parcel that had also been stolen. The contents of the package were ordered for $150.

At 2:10 p.m. on April 29 police returned to the 2000 block of Liberty Court, where another victim stated she was expecting a package containing beauty supplies and was contacted by the leasing office and told that an empty Fedex box addressed to her had been found in a stairwell.

The package contained $111 worth of skin care products.

The victim also discovered and empty U.S. Postal Service box she was supposed to have received from a friend containing skin care and makeup products. The value of the contents in the second package is unknown.

Items stolen from church

WEST NORRITON — On April 28 at 11:30 a.m. at theft from the storage garage at the Jeffersonville Presbyterian Church, 1921 West Main St., was reported to police.

A representative from the church told authorities that she went to the garage on April 21 to retrieve items for a flea market and noticed three folding tables, two metal chairs, and three folding children’s beds worth a total of $170 were missing. She also reported that two storage boxes containing miscellaneous items had also been stolen.

Tires slashed outside taproom

WEST NORRITON — Three of four tires of an SUV were slashed in the parking lot of Chap’s Taproom, 2509 W. Main St., between 8:45 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. April 26.

The victim reported to police that he parked his gray Toyota Tundra in the west parking lot of the restaurant and bar. When he returned he noticed that one tire was flat and attempted to drive to a nearby gas station to get air when he noticed the other flat tires.

Police assisted in procuring a tow for the vehicle. The estimated cost of the tires replacement is $1,000.

Credit card stolen

UPPER MERION — On April 29 at 12:19 p.m. a patron at Champps Restaurant at 330 Goddard Blvd. noticed that her credit card was missing from her purse. She had placed the purse on the back of her chair while dining when the card was stolen. A purchase was later made with the card at an Exxon gas station in Lancaster.

Wallet stolen from purse at bar

UPPER MERION — A woman called police from Bahama Breeze at 320 Goddard Blvd. to report a theft that occurred between 7 and 10:30 p.m. The victim told police that she placed her purse by her feet as she sat at the bar when another woman began talking to her. A male and female approached the bar and when the victim went to pay her bill, she discovered her wallet missing from her purse. The card was subsequently used in an attempt to obtain a cash advance, but was denied.

Tires slashed

UPPER MERION — Police responded to the 200 block of Strawberry Lane April 25 for a report of vehicle vandalism. The victim stated that between 7:15 p.m. and 9 a.m. someone slashed all four tires of his vehicle, which was parked in his driveway.

Tools stolen from trailers

UPPER MERION — Police are investigating two incidents in which tools were stolen from trailers. Authorities first responded to the 500 block of General Knox Road on April 27. The victim told them that between 4 p.m. April 25 and 1 p.m. that day, someone had cut the lock off of the trailer which was parked alongside his house. A table saw and miter box were stolen.

Between 4 p.m. April 29 and 7:30 a.m. May 1, another trailer was broken into in the 400 block of Woodhill Road. An air compressor valued at $3,500 was stolen along with four chippers and other tools.

Juvenile’s joyride cut short

UPPER MERION — At 9:38 on April 27, a resident on his way home noticed a male in the driver’s seat of his brother-in-law’s car. The male was not his brother-in-law. The resident called police and a juvenile suspect was positively identified and arrested.

Drug arrest of lottery enthusiast

UPPER MERION — Police arrested a man who was loitering at the the Wawa at 145 West DeKalb Pike at 7:10 a.m. on April 27. According to store employees, the suspect had been coming in and out of the store for several hours, repeatedly using the lottery machine.

Police arrived and determined that the suspect was intoxicated. A search revealed that the suspect illegally possessed Oxycodone. He was taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

Norristown burglar targets safe

NORRISTOWN — On May 2 at 9:23 p.m. police were called to the first block of Haws Avenue for a reported burglary. The victim told police that she was at work between 7:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. and arrived home to find that someone had entered her residence through the back door by reaching through an unsecured rear window near the door and unlocking it.

The burglar stole a change jar containing keys to a closet safe. The suspect unlocked the safe and stole personal documents and $200.

Police processed the scene and issued the resident a victim’s rights pamphlet.